Illegal Morality
by Guilty Memory
Summary: Venom's pupil. Zato's secret admirer. A young man is both of these, and will soon learn that life is not as sweet as it is depicted to be. Sequel to "This Mortal Coil" Venom x Zato
1. Watch Me

_[I'm starting to get how ff.net screws over my HTML formats…oi yoi yoi…]_

Chapter One: _Watch Me_

            One. Two. Three. Three knocks had by now passed upon Zato's door. It'd been a few weeks since the incident involving the guild's former chieftain and his wife, and still Zato had not returned from his chambers. He'd simply locked himself in there, and, as it seemed, would not come out. Three more knocks met his door. No answer, sighing the one who dared to disturb his leader retreated down the hall from whence he came…but as he left, the doorknob slowly opened. Stopping in his tracks, he turned on heel to see who it was. To his dismay however, it was none other than Venom, who himself looked a bit weary…saddened nearly. Instead of asking of the young assassin what he wanted with Master Zato, Venom only looked at him a moment and ventured off in the opposite direction. Not bothering to ask why, the young man instead returned to Zato's door, for Venom had left it open. Zato was alive. And very healthy-looking at that. He sat within the sill of the massive window, arms wrapped around his legs as his eyes were closed gently. He seemed to be meditating on something, for it seemed as if he'd not even felt the man's presence. Daring even more, the young one spoke, hoping not to get spiteful words from his leader.

"Master Zato," he began with a gentle bow of the upper torso. "I apologize for disturbing you, sir, but I simply wanted to see if you were alright. Everyone has been worried due to your absence."

Zato still did not move. Instead, he opened a single eye of pale blue, then the other, and left out a whisper of a sigh. Letting his arms fall to his sides, Zato stretched lightly and pushed himself from his sitting position. After stepping from the sill onto the cold marble floor with naked feet, he inhaled and exhaled a bit, as if he were still treasuring the reanimation of his lungs, and finally acknowledged the young one.

"I needed time to recuperate…to rest…and to think. Is that ample?" he asked, quirking his mouth some. The young man smiled a bit, and nodded. 

"Yes sir…it was only a matter of us concerned about not hearing from you in so many weeks…and your door was locked. We saw Master Venom occasionally, but—."

"Now by "we", are you referring to the Guild of Assassins as a whole….or yourself?" Zato interrupted, sensing more to this one than what he was having him believe. The young man gasped slightly, and pulled in his lower lip a moment, his shoulders slumping some in the process.

"…Myself, sir…" he said dejectedly. Zato nodded in response, and began to walk past the youth, toward his door.

"I see. Well…truthfully, I needed a few weeks to meditate. Yes, I slept, ate, and handled all other assessments moderately in the process, but for the majority, Venom and I had to discuss some things."

Now the young man was even more curious….and he let such curiosity get in the way of his formality.

"Like what?" he asked, but soon regretted that statement as Zato gave him a soulless glare without words.

"I—I apologize for the past inquiry, master. I now remember that one such as myself or others should not ask of the affairs of one of higher authority such as yourself, Master Zato," he said quickly. Zato sighed and shook his head

"It's no matter. Just don't let that happen again. You are an assassin, not a child." 

The young man again bowed in apology.

"Understood, Mater Zato…I will dismiss myself immediately," he said before stepping around Zato and into the hallway. Zato sighed and shook his head.

"And…Lei?" he said, watching the young man turn around at hearing his name.

"Yes sir?"

"Don't be so worried about matters concerning me. They are usually handled easily," he said nonchalantly. Lei nodded before taking off down the hall again.

"You can't blame them for being concerned…" the voice of Venom said as he approached Zato from behind, and stopped beside him. "If I were that young man, would you have been as dismissive?" he asked. Zato smirked gently.

"You and I both know the answer to that. The difference between him and you is that you know what is to be expected of you already, what is proper and what is not…and with that, you are of a higher status than he is. Being such a new recruit as he is, he needs to be trained properly, and not as one would see fit."

Venom released a faint chuckle.

"If this is so, then why did you have me spared?" he asked. Zato looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Had I not told you before?" he asked. Venom shook his head, the endless strands of white revealing his other eye of brilliant blue from time to time, while the other remained, for the strands on the right were tucked behind an ear comfortably. 

"…I admired your valor concerning your pending death…you did not quake nor break to tears as so many others had…you were accepting your fate…and it was because of that that I had you spared."

"Among other things, I presume…" Venom added. Zato looked at him with a twitch of the brow.

"…Among others, yes."

-

Lei growled a bit as he took another swing at Venom with the extensive blade, which did not even graze the tall man as he simply leaned backward, and used the pool stick to unbalance the young man with a hit to the hilt of the blade, sending him to one side inelegantly. The others who watched clapped gratefully—for Venom's tact—and continued to watch. Lei sighed as he got up again, this time more determined. However, Venom had lowered his guard. Underneath the sheet of white, he was studying Lei, deciding to continue the lesson or not. And seeing as how Lei had suffered enough defeat, he decided to end it.

"That is all for today, Lei. We will continue after dusk. After you have rested enough, I will be out here awaiting you. You may be dismissed," he said before starting toward the forest. The other trainees gasped and awed at their teacher's skill, and then rushed to Lei, who tiredly sheathed his blade.

"I didn't think Master Venom would even **_consider_** letting real weapons be used! I guess he's just that skilled, huh Lei?" one asked, marveling at her mentor's amount of skill. Lei nodded wearily.

"Yeah..it's harder than it looks though—going up against him. He's too damn fast!"

"I know!" the female trainee replied. "But he doesn't let me use real weapons. I have to use a stupid stick. You're lucky, Lei. OH!" she yelped at a realization. "I heard you got to speak with Master Zato! How is he?! Is he okay?" she asked. Lei nodded.

"Yeah. Everyone put me up to it, though—to see what was going on with him, I mean."

"So what was the matter with him?" another trainee asked. Lei shrugged some.

"To be honest, I dunno. I heard some of the older members say that he was undead…but he seemed fine to me. And Venom was there, too."

The female trainee's eyes widened greatly.

"REALLY?! Hey, what did he sound like?!" she asked. Lei swallowed hard a bit, not wanting to convey his true thoughts on that, and decided to trim his opinion….greatly.

"Like a leader, I guess. It wasn't like a monster or anything, Terra."

Terra hopped about like the youth that she was, and clung to the other male trainee. "Yu, did you hear that? Now I really wanna meet him—."

"No you don't," Lei interrupted, but then quickly corrected himself. "I mean…he's okay…but I don't think you know all of the formalities yet for approaching the master."

Terra looked at him oddly, then cocked her head to one side.

"I do, too! All you have to do is bow a lot and say "sir" with everything!"

Both Yu and Lei sighed extravagantly.

"No. You. Don't. I know, Terr. You're supposed to bow when you meet him and apologize for disturbing you if he hadn't summoned you, and then you wait for him to allow you to speak and then—."

"But what if he forgets that he's supposed to give you permission?" Terra asked. Lei looked at her oddly.

"If he did that, he wouldn't be the leader for very long, Terra. Don't be stupid."

Just as that was said, one of the members of the guild stepped out of the doors of the manor, and made an announcement.

"All of you are to report to the dining hall at once. Master Zato has returned from his leave, and would like to speak with you all."

Terra beamed happily, rushing ahead of everyone toward the door, while Lei and Yu walked beside one another. 

"Well, I guess everyone will get to see him, huh?" Yu asked, smiling gently. Lei nodded, avoiding the subject of Zato.

"Yeah…"

-

Zato stood in front of thousands of potential killing machines, clad in leather pants and a shirt, both of the color of the night, and matching boots as he slowly paced left to right in front of them, examining them all, one by one with his intellect. Every last one of them sat silent in his presence, awed by his every movement and gesture. Venom could be found nearby, arms folded as he watched the trainees and Zato in silence, along with the other members of the guild. Zato finally stopped pacing, stood at his full height, and raised a hand to about the height of his mid-chest. Slowly, a cloud of eerie white rose from the ground, and slowly a hideous shape formed to that of some indefinable monster, who was silent also…but its presence was shocking…

"This is what is attached to me: a purified parasite. It killed me once…but as you all can see, I stand before you now. What caused my resurrection is of no concern to you, but I will, however explain matters that many of you are concerned with. Most of which concern my being absent for so many weeks. Being alive for such a short period of time, I needed to recuperate my thoughts and senses and memories. Though this may seem simple, it is indeed an arduous task. This would not have happened had I not went to what lengths I did for strength…power. What I did then still affects me now, and forever will. I am telling you this because you may later decide to take what you consider to be an 'easier path' to attain what it is you desire. That is not the way of the assassins. That is not the way of man in general. In addition to that, you must work hard within this guild. Some of you are here without choice…some of you are here by choice. No matter the reason, all rules will apply to you, no matter what your history may be."

Momentarily, Zato pointed in Venom's direction, who did not move, though he knew what Zato was doing.

"Your Master Venom is an example. He failed as an assassin, and was sentenced to death. However, he still stands. Why? Because of his valor. He was not a coward then, nor is he one now. And that is what I expect of all of you. If nothing else, you all must be full of valor. There are no cowards in this guild, and there will be no cowards within this guild..."

Lei watched as Zato spoke, pacing along the floor of the hall and speaking so strongly while the bright demon followed his footsteps. He was so vibrant—so strong with every word! Yu noticed the glint within Lei's eye, and nudged him lightly.

"You okay?" he whispered, arching a brow. Lei's awed concentration was broken, and he looked at Yu with part of the expression from before still visible.

"Uh. Me? Oh—yeah, of course!" he whispered in return. Yu blinked a few more times. 

"You sure?" 

Lei nodded a bit more extravagantly, causing Yu to believe otherwise.

"Whatever you say…"

-

Zato collapsed upon his bed, tired. Staring at the ceiling, he sighed some, looking out of the window a second before turning his head to look at Venom, who was stretching at the moment after throwing his white dress shirt over a chair.

"How do you think they'll react?' he asked, sighing a bit as Venom joined him in bed, straddling his mid-torso.

"You told only the truth. It is up to them what they will do with it," Venom said in reply as Zato pushed himself upward to kiss Venom's collarbone gently before whispering against it.

"This is true," he sighed. Venom used a hand to tilt Zato's head upward,  as so he could gently..almost sympathetically…kiss the pink-tinged lips of Zato, who replied with  a gentle closing of his eyelids in the process.

"You should forget your troubles now..let them go until the morning..okay?" Venom said with a gentle smile before wilting Zato with a pleading kiss to his neck, and with such a willing submission did Zato indeed forget those troubles, raising his arms to ravel them around the trunk of Venom and enjoy every sensation. All the tensity within his muscles now fled him as seduction took its course, and Zato was left at Venom's mercy. Feeling breathless as his heightened senses derailed his train of thought several times, Zato was able to whisper gently every now into his lover's ear.

"I wish…nn…that I could forgot all of my problems with you…" he sighed. Venom breathed against Zato's neck a moment all the while caressing the newly borne skin of his ribcage, and downward further, onto his hips and thighs, allowing Zato to do the same from his bare shoulders to his lower abdomen as well.

"You can.." Venom replied, guiding Zato into the throes of ecstasy while supporting his spine with gentle hands.

And with me, you forever will… 

-End Ch 1- __


	2. Believe Me

**Chapter 2: _Believe Me_**_  
  
  
  
  
_Lei let out a fierce roar as he struck at the straw-filled opponent, knocking an arm from its position at the shoulder. Venom clapped a few times as he nodded, pool stick tucked neatly underneath the arm in the process. The young trainee was getting better and better. Good. This meant that he was ready for the next level of training. With a bit of a sigh, Venom spoke softly for once, his tone true with every word.  
  


"Lei, you are becoming greater and greater. I think you are ready for another session of combat with me. Do you also believe that you are ready?" he asked. Lei rolled his shoulders a bit.

"Truthfully, sir, I can't say. You are far more skilled than I am."

"That is not a factor in training…to a degree," Venom continued. "But you still should attempt, regardless of your level of skill."

Lei thought on that a moment, and then sighed, bringing his wooden blade upward a bit with both hands.

"Okay, then," he said slowly, more or less to himself. Venom let the pool stick slip through a few fingers before gripping near the end, and the stood at his full height, silently. Lei knew that Venom naturally wouldn't make the first move…he would analyze his opponent first, determine how much stamina, speed, and power they had behind each movement of offense or defense, and then strike with deadly counteraction. There was no point in the young trainer's even attempting to duel the master…but he had to try.

"Fearful?" Venom asked finally, never lowering his guard. Lei chose not to respond. Only watch.

"…I see…" Venom said slowly before he began to lower his guard, but quickly brought it back up with a rise of the pool stick as Lei struck at his with extreme speed. 

_Damn…so close…_Lei cursed himself as he bounced off of Venom's defensive stance, and then resumed his own offensive stance quickly. His teacher was brilliant in this art. Quick and deadly at that. So why was it that he was to be done away with at one time?

"Your mind wanders," Venom interrupted the youth's train of thought with a swing of the white length; a cracking sound echoing through the air as the young man issued a yelp and fell to one side, holding his ribcage.

"Ah!" he hissed. Venom shook his head as he approached the boy.

"Let that be a lesson to you. Daydreams are for the dead, Lei. If you cannot even pose a reasonable threat to me, then you will never be able to face Master Zato," he warned, turning his back on the trainee.

"And you will never prove worthy of being within this guild."

That struck a nerve within the boy as he watched his teacher leave him, heading deeper into the forest. **_Never_** prove worthy?! How dare he?! Lei _was_ worthy! He simply spent too much time analyzing and figuring his opponent's movements and he never really thought about speed and precision. But then…what was that part at the end about facing Zato..? If he proved himself worthy, could he actually end up facing Zato? Part of him seemed full of joy at the realization, but then the other part cowered in fear. When he would see Zato, it wouldn't be out of affection. He would have to most likely give his all and fight the master as though he were his mortal enemy. That was something he did not want to do. Sighing, the young man pushed himself to his feet, and let his aching side go. The mere thought of having to face the master in an aggressive way such as that hurt him more than the bruise Venom had probably given him.

-

Yu and Terra were opposite each other, breathing heavily as they held their weapons at their sides. They'd been sparring one another for hours now, under the surveillance of one of the higher-ranking members. So far, Yu had proved to be a worthy adversary, but with extremely well done parries and strong offensive blows to Terra.

"Are you prepared to face master Venom now, Yu?" the supervising member asked. Yu blinked a few times before swallowing hard. If he declined, it would make him seem unworthy of the guild…if he accepted…oye…

"Yes…I am ready." He sighed, standing at his full height now. The older member pointed outside of the circular training ground, towards a thick forest a few tens of feet away.

"Master Venom is there and waiting. You may proceed when you are ready."

Yu sighed some. How long could he wait until proceeding? And how did he know that the master wouldn't surprise him from above or behind? Who knew how merciful master Venom would be!?  Well…he should have declined instead. And Terra seemed to agree with him, despite her weary eyes. 

"How much time will you need to prepare?" the older one asked. Yu wanted to say a week or so, but that wasn't allowed. 

"..An hour.." he sighed. The older member nodded gently and motioned for the second set of sparring partners to come forth.

-

Terra clung to Lei nearly in an embrace as he yipped happily.

"Yu gets to fight master Venom!" she cheered. Lei noticed however that Yu wasn't as ecstatic as Terra was.

"Afraid?" Lei teased. Yu frowned some. 

"No. Tired." He murmured. Terra looked at Yu oddly.

"I thought that that was what you wanted, Lei—to eventually spar master Venom? You've always wanted to.." she said. Yu seemed a little uncomfortable now.

"I know I said that. It's just that I'm having second thoughts on it now…"

"Why?" she asked. Yu shrugged.

"I don't know. All that energy and will to fight is gone now. I don't know why. It's not fear…it's just that I don't want to win…or lose."

"But it's just a test, Yu," Terra went on. Yu shook his head some, as if he were disagreeing.

"I know, I know, but…inside, I don't want to.."

-

Zato sighed as he walked down one of the many halls within the manor. Today had gone by seamlessly…but slowly. He'd finished giving reviews…speeches…all of the mandatory leadership work. But now he had nothing to do. Venom was nowhere to be found, due to the fact that he was busy teaching students outside within the forest. And none of the students had yet beaten him. Zato was kind of relieved and kind of disappointed though. He was beginning to miss Venom…or maybe he was beginning to miss the hot-blooded ferocity that came with sparring? Maybe it was both. Surely, Venom wouldn't mind committing his time to something so dismal as that though, would he? Zato sighed again, folding his arms now as he continued to slowly meander down the hall. Maybe….just….maybe…

-

Another empty swing. A fourth. Fifth! Venom dodged them all with slight effort, but the sixth was true power. A jab of the wooden "blade" that Yu possessed unbalanced the teacher, and the last strike—the seventh, knocked him harshly onto his side with great speed and power, leaving the wooden weapon at the assassin's throat. In return, Venom smiled, and even laughed gently, causing Yu to retract his weapon and swallow hard as the man stood.

"Very good, Yu. Excellent. You did not falter, and you used me flaw to an advantage. You may now test your skill against master Zato…but at a later time. Now you must learn to spar with actual weapons….and again with me, but only for a small time, until I see that you are prepared. Master Zato is far less forgiving in training combat than I am, so I suggest that you train well."

Yu sighed and bowed.

"Yes, sir," he said before turning around, where all the other trainees were talking amongst themselves and smiling extravagantly at his victory.

"You did really good, Yu!" Terra said with a smile. Yu sighed.

"Yeah..thanks, Terr." 

Everyone but Yu and Lei seemed happy with Yu's victory. Lei was silent, an odd expression etched upon his face while he refused to speak to Yu at the moment. Yu noticed this and brought it to his attention.

"Lei…are you alright?" he asked. Lei said nothing and turned his back on his friend.

"Lei…?" Yu again said. No response.

"You betrayed me…" was all that Lei whispered. Yu looked a little confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Lei finally turned around.

"You knew you would win. You knew what would happen if you beat Venom. And you knew—" Lei stopped at that. He bit his lower lip as if to stop the next few words, and then shook his head.

"I knew what?" Yu asked. Lei shook his head, realizing that he was going to say too much, and perhaps ruin himself.

"N…nothing. Forget it. Good luck." Was all that Lei had to say. Yu blinked a few more times, even more confused now.

"Huh?" he asked. "Lei…are you okay?" he asked. Lei sighed, and waved Yu off.

"Yeah…just…some stuff I gotta deal with. You go ahead and train for Master Zato. You got my support."

Yu looked even more confused now. What was wrong with Lei? He always acted odd before but….now he was beginning to make no sense whatsoever! And now that he was facing Zato, Yu was growing even heavier with burdens—that off his expected performance…and that of what harm he could have possibly dealt his friend, Lei. And already it was becoming too much too bear in so little time.

-End Ch 2-   


	3. Love Me

**Chapter 3:_ Love Me  
  
  
  
_**_Step back...parry right...low parry...go for the midsection....again...again...AGAIN! _ 

Zato was on his back, jaw clenched in pain. But it wasn't over. Yu thought he'd won. Instead of victory, he found himself even with his master. Though his own blade was at the throat of Zato, Yu found several white blade-like forms at his own throat, emanating from Zato's fingertips.

"Wa--ah!" Yu exclaimed, retracting his blade some from its target. Zato sighed before sinking into the mass of pooling white about him, and reformed himself behind the pupil, shaking his head.

"You were doing well, Yu, until you let fear judge for you." he said. Yu bit his tongue at hearing that. He was so stupid for doing that!

"I apologize, master Zato."

"No!" Zato scorned him. "You do not apologize for your lacking! You work harder, instead! Now, do not return to me until you have done so." Zato ordered. Yu bowed obediently.

"Yes, master Zato! The next meeting, I will be victorious." he said. Zato nodded.

"That is what I want to hear. You are dismissed."

-

            Lei stared blankly at the plate set before him. He had been staring at it for some time now...thinking. He lost to Venom....he could not face Zato in battle. He...wanted to, so badly. And Yu....Yu gained what he could not. Yu was honored with the very _presence _of Master Zato. Yu could spar with him…and experience the majesty of his power and grace. Yu could experience it all…and it was at…Lei's expense. It could have been _him _that bested Venom. _Him_ that made it on to face Zato. But then…what would _he_ do differently than Yu? All he could do was spar. He couldn't….couldn't…

"What's the matter, Lei?" Terra asked as she sat across from the dazed Lei, her head cupped within her hands. Lei snapped out of his daydream and forced a smile upon his features.

"Huh? Oh—nothing!" he lied. Terra blinked at him a few times.

"Are you sure? You haven't touched your lunch." she said, pointing at his plate.  Lei didn't want to eat. His food had already gotten cold, he presumed, but also, he just didn't have much of an appetite today.

"…I'm not hungry, I guess." He said, voicing his thoughts. Terra tilted her head slightly.

"Does it have anything to do with what happened yesterday between you and Yu?"

Lei's eyes widened slightly, but he shook his head instantly, so that his expression of surprise wouldn't be so obvious.

"…Naahh. I'm fine, Terr."

"You sure?" she asked. "Yu told me that you got mad at him when you found out that he beat Venom."

"I was kinda mad…I guess 'cause I knew that it meant that he would get a higher ranking status than me if he beat the master."

"Well, you shouldn't be jealous," Terra said with a smile. "Besides, Yu lost to Zato anyway."  
  


"What?" Lei asked.

"I said that the master beat Yu."

"Oh.." Lei said, retaining his glee.

"Aren't you happy? That means that you get another shot at that ranking position that Yu could have gotten." 

"I know," Lei said. "And I'm glad it's still open, but…it would seem wrong to be happy when Yu lost that same position."

"Well, from what Yu told me…it seems that you were more angry about him facing Zato than anything. Do you have something against him or the master or anything like that, Lei?" Terra asked. Lei could feel warmth underneath his collar at hearing that, and tugged on it a little before he could respond.

"Well…of course not. I was just caught up in the whole competition thing, I guess. You know how that goes."

"Oh! Well, everybody knows that. For a minute, me and Yu thought that you had some weird infatuation with master Zato or something." Terra said bluntly, smiling in the process. Lei thought that his heart was going to explode when she said that. How could they both know—no, _guess_ so accurately?!

"No, it's nothing like that, Terra!" he said, chuckling, hiding behind a fragile smile that was bound to crack any second. 

"Good, because if it was, I was gonna tell you to back off. There're rumors going around the manor that master Zato has a favorite already."

Lei could feel his heart snapping in half. _What?!_  Was he hearing correctly? Could it be that the master could do such a thing to him? Wait…what was he thinking? The master never knew anything about how he felt…about what he wanted to say all those times that he saw him. He never knew about any of those things. So how could Lei believe that master Zato truly meant to break his heart? He felt like he was going to vomit…but he couldn't. He felt so…sick inside.

-

            Zato curled his fingers toward himself as he glided along the earth beneath him, summoning from within the parasite that now helped sustain him, rather than aid in his destruction. The white glowing threads rose around him like slowly growing vines, each bright and swirling around his arms and body as he reached heavenward, his eyes closed in the process. Suddenly, the majestic poise he maintained shattered as he gave an intimidating shriek, and threw his arms downward until they touched the ground. In response, howls and shrieks of the dead sounded while the parasite shot out in rays along the ground, traveling toward Venom, who was at the moment, standing perfectly still, his pool stick held upright.  He waited until the rays began to raise the earth underneath them before he took flight into the air with a jump, and, raising a gloved hand heavenward, collected energy into his fingertips, and expelled a massive ball of violet energy that floated swiftly toward Zato. Instead of avoiding the impending attack, Zato instead dug his fingers into the earth, and growled inhumanely as he forced the purified entity inside him to soar toward Venom. The rays did as told, and slowly melded together as they wrapped around Venom, encasing him in white, and then pulled downward harshly until it collapsed into the earth, leaving a decent indentation. The trainees that speculated were in awe, their jaws slack as they beheld a battered Venom rising from the debris, smirking from behind a sheet of white. Though they thought that the match would continue, the two masters only gave one another a gracious bow, and turned toward their speculators. The entire body of viewers paused a moment before they gave a raucous cheer for their masters, loving the gift that they had been given.

"I can't wait until I become as good as they are!" Yu exclaimed alongside Terra, who was bouncing about with joy.

"Me too!" she exclaimed. Lei said nothing. It was so…entrancing to see that which he had. To see the master Zato in his form as he had been, dancing about the earth like a possessed angel, battered but still breathing. Controlling the parasite within that once plagued him like it was an instrument of his majestic yet destructive dance. All the while, Yu and Terra were laughing and clapping, but he…he was watching, silent. He just wanted to see it all over again.

"Dude, you look like a zombie! Did that space you out that much from watching them spar?" Yu asked as he nudged Lei's side. Lei blinked a few times, and shook his head.

"Hu---unh? Oh—y-yeah, I'm fine…it's just kinda awesome watching them go at it like that."

"You looked like a statue," Terra said, blinking at Lei. "I thought that you were staring into space or something."

"No, no, I was watching." Lei said. _But I was watching Zato, _he thought smiling faintly to himself.

"I hope you enjoyed the demonstration. This is what the superior officers will have to endure when it is time for their duration trials." Zato announced with a smile as he rose from his bow. The superiors among the spectators gave sounds of discontent at hearing that, causing Zato to smirk.

"They dread it now…but they will thank both of us, when the time comes." Venom added. Lei and Yu glanced in one another's direction at hearing that.

"How many ranks do you have to have in order to be a superior?" Terra asked suddenly. Yu chuckled nervously.

"I only have one rank to go after I defeat Master Zato in the sparring match." He said.

"What will you be after you defeat master Zato?" Terra asked. 

"…Well, I have a few more things to go through after that, but eventually, I'll be an elite."

"WHOA! From a trainee to an elite that fast?!" Terra exclaimed.

"With extreme skill there comes extreme progression." One of the higher-ranking officers nearby stated. Lei shook his head some at hearing that. _Extreme_? It was simply luck that got Yu through! He would show them extreme. And he would show everyone.

"Uh….does the master favor anyone in particular right now?" he forced himself to ask the superior, who gave him an arched brow.

"…Favor? As in favorite? No, of course not!" he laughed. "That would never happen in the Assassin's Guild!"

"…Has it happened before?" Lei asked. The superior blinked a few times.

"Well…yes, in the past, when master Zato was more corrupt with the shadows of evil, and could not see."

Lei forced himself to ask, and it hurt as it came out, for he did not want to hear the answer.

"….Who was it?"

"Actually," the superior began, rubbing his chin as he thought. "Now that I think about it, master Zato _did_ have the new master spared from death…and from then on Venom was his number one henchman. So I guess that would make master Venom his favorite."

Lei fell silent at hearing that. His world was crashing down on him. Everything shattered. Venom. Master…Venom.

"Are you okay?" the superior asked.

"…I….he…but I'm…I…master Zato, I thought…" Lei stammered, tears welling within his eyes. He could see it all clearly now. Venom using his former rank to lure the master Zato when he was blind—teasing his senses and using him to gain higher status! The bastard, how dare he! And…now that Zato could see again, he was blinded by the attractiveness of Venom…and was compelled to keep him by his side! This was all some twisted game!

"What's the matter? You thought what?" Terra and Yu asked. Lei clutched his hair as he sighed, his jaws tense as he held in a scream.

"….I thought he could love me….no…no, no, no master Zato, you don't understand!...YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE AN ANIMAL!"

-End Ch 3-


	4. Only Me

**Chapter Four: _Only Me_**

****

****

****

            Silence was all around Lei. The only sound that he could not escape was that of water hitting the windowpane due to the light rainfall outside. The shutters were closed so that no light could enter. He shut himself within his room for days now, doing nothing but sharpening his skills. He was more determined than ever to show Zato that he did not need that plotting dog, Venom. Lei was going to prove that he could be more proficient. More reliable. More effective than what Venom could ever be! There wouldn't be a need for mercy upon him, as there was with Venom. Zato would have someone worthy of his favor! Lei stared at his reflection in the mirror. He had been working on his appearance and mentality since before he ever decided to join the Assassin's Guild. When he was fifteen, he remembered hearing about the Guild from a group of people who too were considering joining. He remembered them talking about the master of the Guild, and of how the master was said to be undead, and possessed ungodly power.  Researching this man, that was when he discovered master Zato. The elegance of beauty of him beckoned Lei and caused him to join, along with the promise of such a title as "assassin". He left behind his parents and friends at seventeen for a chance at becoming renowned in the Guild. And he vowed that he would win recognition from the master, Zato. Though Zato only knew his name now, Lei wanted more and more attention from Zato. And he wanted Zato for only himself. He didn't want anyone else capturing his attention. 

Lei breathed slowly as he closed his eyes, and slowly reopened them. He stared at his reflection again.  Here he stood presently eighteen, six feet tall, and of a decent build. He was toned fairly well, and had grown his hair out to just below his shoulder blades, and had it secured it a ponytail. He was Asiatic in origin, and thus had eyes and hair of a chocolate tint. Quite handsome, he was, and active when he wanted to be. Aside from his problem with rejection, Lei could pass for an average person.

"…Today," he said coldly. "I will change everything…and everyone will see who is worthy."

-

"Why do you think Lei did what he did last night?" Yu asked Terra as the two walked alongside one another, heading for the proving grounds outside the manor, so that Yu could try once more to beat Zato in combat. Terra rolled her shoulders, for she was just as clueless as Yu.

"I don't know. It was kinda scary, though, seeing him like that."

"Yeah.  I thought he might have a crush on the master…but yesterday was like…_obsession_."

Terra nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we should talk to him about it and see if we can help him?" she offered. Yu shook his head.

"Maybe you, but not me. He won't listen to me because I'm still facing the master, remember?"

"Yeah," Terra sighed. "Oh well, Yu. I'll see you later. Hope you do well against Master Zato this time!"

"I hope so too…and what's sad is that this is just the weapon portion of combat training. Later, after I see Master Venom about my potential, I'll have to use more powers, if I possess any."

-

            Venom stepped back, avoiding a swing from Lei before he used his pool stick to strike at the young man's side. Lei saw the attack coming and blocked it with the side of his blade. Using force to push the blocked pool stick away from him, Lei let out a yell before he advanced during Venom's moment of unbalance, and delivered a harsh side-kick to Venom's stomach, sending him to the ground, and let his blade swing downward, the tip stopping centimeters from his trainers throat. Venom chuckled faintly, using his pool stick to nudge Lei away from him before he stood.

"That is what I want to see: pure devotion. You are now worthy of facing Master Zato." he said. It was like music to Lei's ears. _Worthy_. He was…_worthy_. And then…he could now face master Zato.

"Thank you, Master Venom. I will prove myself worthy to Master Zato, just as I have to you," he vowed. "And I will not be a disappointment."

-

"Lei," Terra said as she approached her friend who was busily washing his body, cleansing it of dirt and sweat from the previous spar. " I wanted to ask you about last night."

"About what concerning last night?" Lei asked. Terra bit her lower lip a bit before she could speak again.

"About…the master...you know?"

Lei ignored her as he reached for a towel, and as he began to dry his upper torso finally decided to dignify her question with a response.

"Anxiety." Was all that he could say. Terra contorted her expression into one that lingered between anger and confusion. There had to be more to him than what he was leading her to believe! Deciding that bluntness was best, she attempted a different approach to the situation at hand.

"Yu and I…we…we want to know what exactly draws you to master Zato so much. Why are you falling in love with an assassin you will never know? He is your master…if you confessed how you felt to him…he'd break your heart..! We….no.._I_ don't want you going through that. So please tell me, Lei." she pleaded. Lei sighed as he listened to her, and shook his head.

"You're wrong…I will know him one day. Master…..Master Zato will know my name! He will recognize me before I become an assassin!" he yelled, causing Terra to shudder lightly.

"..You're not listening to me, are you?" she whispered.

"NO, I'M NOT!" he bellowed. "BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT LISTENING TO ME! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU OR YU THINK!"

"Please, Lei, listen to me…you don't see what I see—."

"NO! I see _more_ than what both of you see! I will be the best there is! I will surpass Master Zato! And not only that—I will do whatever it takes to gain his favor! When someone needs the most proficient of the Guild, Zato will choose _me_!"

"….Why do you want him to notice you? Why _should_ he love you?" Terra asked, her gaze thinning as she narrowed her eyes at what once was her friend but now stood a young man gone mad. Lei readied himself to respond, but then thought about what Terra said to him. There was no doubt in his heart that he wanted to lock himself within Zato's heart…but…could Zato ever love him….? Could Zato ever….return that same….blind affection?

"…I…I want him to notice me….and love only me…I can be more loyal and sufficient than Venom. Venom is just…just _using_ him!! He doesn't see what I see!"

"Then what do you see?" Terra asked. Lei gave a crooked smile as he let the damp towel fall into the crumpled fingers of one of his hands. There was so much to say…but he wanted to say so little.

"I see…I see someone that does not know how beautiful he is. Someone that goes unappreciated, even if he does not know it. Zato is the reason I am here, besides the title of assassin. He is like…a possessed angel. When he sparred with Venom…it was like a violent dance. The wisps of white breaking from the white demon curling around his delicate fingers… and the black leather melding with the parasite gorgeously while he screamed and directed everything so perfectly…it was almost like a dream, Terra. I don't think anyone can admire him as I do," Lei concluded as he shook his head gently. "And that is why no one else is worthy of him. Only me."

"But Lei…you have to think logically," Terra said as she cautiously raised a hand to play her fingers along the lines of his shoulder and back. "If you impose yourself on the master, then he will only become agitated…you can't make him love you."

"But I can try, Terra. If—if I could express my emotions just once—."

"And what if he turns you down, or even possibly exiles you?" Terra asked. Lei squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to think of such a thing.

"…I….I have to find out." Was all that he could say.

*

Zato summoned the demonic parasite once more, manipulating the emanating wisps of white that swiveled upward, thinning into the air. He was growing bored with the competition as of late. And the only good competition that even came close to posing a threat to him was Yu. Aside from his entertaining spar with Venom, Zato was yearning more and more for competition. Someone that could possibly dethrone him, or at least ground him and keep him there, as Yu had done. He missed the action. And….he missed chaos. Without it…the Guild had less and less meaning each day.

"Master," an elite member called with an apologizing bow as he entered the doorway to Zato's quarters. "I am to inform you that you may decide upon which trainee may face you first."

Two in the same day? Fate was beginning to smile upon him!

"Who are the contenders?" Zato asked, an obvious smile broadening his features.

"Yu Li Xiao and Lei Furamaya. Both are very good candidates…but one is more headstrong than the other."

Zato seemed to be intrigued by this.

"Which is the more headstrong?" he asked.

"Lei, sir." the member said. Zato chuckled faintly to himself.

"Then it is settled. I am to face Lei. This should be promising." He declared.

-End Ch 4-


	5. Worship Me

**Chapter Five: _Worship Me_**

****

Lei's chest heaved sporadically as his eyes widened, pupils dilated extravagantly. His mouth parched with the repercussions of battle. His body physically shattered, skin broken in multiple areas, giving way to blood and sweat that set him ablaze with pain. But he didn't care. Not even in the slightest. He'd won, so why should he? He'd conquered his foes, Venom and Yu. He'd won his master's heart: Zato's heart. And as he stood, the world caved in on him. No! What was happening? He'd won, fair and square! This couldn't be…!

"AAH-Ah! Hn…!"

Silence. Lei sat up in bed, staring into the darkness ahead. So, it was only a dream. Or perhaps a nightmare? Sighing in frustration, he sank back into bed, sliding his hands over the sweat-covered sheets so that he may pull them up over his frame.

"Master Zato," he croaked into the still air. "Will you ever understand why it is I do as I feel I should for you?"

There was no answer. And why should there be? Why should Master Zato even want to understand his logic? Or even acknowledge his existence, for that matter? For all Lei knew, Zato could care less. All he was was a simple trainee who was progressing up the ladder of assassins, to be promoted to an elite. Zato was at the top of the food chain, surveying his subjects with the eyes of a hawk. But then again…Lei was forgetting how easily he could manipulate his way to the top of that same food chain—to attain the coveted title of assassin—to be seen in all the assassin worlds' eyes—and to rip Zato's heart from the mangy paws of the dog that was Venom and make it his! Yes, Lei only doubted himself. He _could_ do this. He _would_ attain godly power in a matter of months, and Zato most certainly **_would_** worship him.

-

"I'm worried," Terra abruptly stated, breaking the awkward silence that she and Yu shared for some time now. The two had been sitting in the commissary for a little over an hour now, eating slowly…sadly…quietly. Almost as though there had been a death in both their families, and neither of them wanted to speak of it. But this was not so. It was Lei that caused such a disturbance betwixt them. His erratic behavior as of late had shocked the both of them—not because of his attraction to the master, Zato, but more so out of his inexplicable, fanatical obsession of the master that sometimes bordered on sheer insanity. At her sudden outburst, Yu looked up at Terra.

"About?" he said nonchalantly.

"Lei."

"Why?"

"You know why, Yu."

" 'I know why', yes, but I'm asking why you're worried because you shouldn't be. Lei isn't your problem right now. He has no quarrel with you. It's me and master Venom that he hates right now. If anything, _I_ should be worried."

"Well, why aren't you? If Lei wanted to really be spiteful, he could kill you during a simple spar and say that you were simply too weak an adversary, and the entire thing would be dismissed."

Yu chuckled a little.

"I know," he said. Terra frowned.

"Then why aren't you worried!" she demanded. Yu sighed a little as he propped a hand upon his cheek.

"Because…somehow..in an odd kind of way, I knew that this would happen. I just got that feeling the first time I met him. I never was really fully trusting of Lei, to tell the truth. And in the same way that master Venom and master Zato forever will detest the former master Slayer and the now-dead former rogue, Millia Rage, somehow I feel that in the future, he and I will be bitter enemies too someday, even if we seem to be simple rivals now."

Terra bit her lip a moment before she began to clench her hands into fists. How could he just…give up like that? Did he even care that Lei needed their help?

"How can you say that?" she muttered. Yu arched a brow. But before he could ask anything of Terra, she burst into an uproar.

"How can you say that about him? He's your friend! Don't you even care that he's losing his mind? That he might get his heart broken? That he might even kill himself! All you have to say is that you accept everything as it is, and you don't even care if one say you might have to kill him, or that he might even kill you? HE'S YOUR FRIEND, YU! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HELP HIM! **YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CARE!**"

Yu sat there, speechless. He was…obligated? Obligated to help a madman? To allow that very same madman to go on about his lunatic rampage and only…console him?

"Terra…I'm sorry—."

"**SORRY FOR WHAT? FOR GIVING UP ON HIM! WHAT IF _YOU_ WERE IN HIS PLACE? DO YOU THINK HE'D GIVE ON YOU, YU!**" she screamed.

Yu didn't respond. He was too furious with her at the moment. Rather than respond, he slowly rose from his seat and trudged out of the commissary, toward the dormitory halls.

_No…I'm sorry you can't understand. _

_-_

Lei stopped abruptly before reaching for the door that would lead him back into the manor of the Guild of Assassins. Something was amiss…but he couldn't quite place it. Dismissing the feeling, he reached anyway and opened the door. The halls were empty. And dark. Apparently, he'd spent a little too much time training tonight, for twilight had approached. As he slipped inside the building silently, he noticed that the candle that lit the many halls had been blown out. But why? Every night, the elite members stood guard, also, yet they did not now. Anyone could easily slip into the manor from the outside—namely an enemy assassin, and attempt a coup de grâce

"_Good evening, Lei_," A voice echoed throughout the empty manor. Lei's brows furrowed as he quickly assumed an offensive stance, eyes alert as he surveyed the dakness.

"Good evening to you too, demon," he sneered. "To whom should I pay my respects to after your funeral?"

"_Why…you should already have that person in mind_," the hauntingly smooth voice teased as shadows danced in the moonlight, apparently ethereal in origin. "_Seeing as how that person would be in_ **_your_** **_family_**--**_KKRRYYYAAARRGH!_**"

Lei quickly performed an evasive backflip as the moonlit shadows shot from the ground and towards him, solidifying in the process. The screaming, demonic tone began to cackle maniacally as the bladelike shadows twisted about the room, slashing at the air while Lei quickly and efficiently dodged them accordingly. He may have been at a disadvantage, being weaponless, but he wasn't about to die now! Not when he had yet to prove himself to master Zato! Suddenly, the shadows stopped attacking him and retrated back into the ground. But Lei still did not let his guard down. And as the shadows slithered away, something else slithered forth. From outside a nearby window. And as it poured itself onto the moonlit floor and formed a humane shape…it resembled someone very, very familiar.

"That was well done…for a practice run."

Lei's eyes nearly fell out of his skull. It was…

"M-m-master…"

The being smiled sadistically as an arm raised forward…and a finger pointed toward him.

"In the flesh."

Master Zato.

-End Ch 5-


	6. Don't Desert Me

**Chapter Six: _Don't Desert Me_**

Lei breathed heavily as he held his chest, blood seeping from several lashes upon his torso that the master had adorned him with. How amusing it was that the pain seemed almost absent…it could nearly be pleasurable, had there not been the lingering factor in his mind that this was indeed a test of both his fortitude and mental constitution. In front of him, Zato stood, a vehement smile across his angelic face.

"I know you are more resourceful than this, Lei," Zato said as his gently caressed a wisp of white that emanated from the floor beneath his feet. "Now show me what you are."

Lei's jaw clenched as he could feel his hands tingling. No…he felt frozen! Why! Why was it now that he felt that stupid warm, fluttery sensation in his chest? Why couldn't he speak or fight back? Zato lowered his hand finally, apparently frustrated with the lack of progress.

"I see," he said with an air of disappointment in tone. "I was wrong. You are not as they say you are."

Lei wanted to attack. To pin the master beneath him in order to show that he was indeed worthy of his attention. But he could never strike the master, he realized now. No, not mar such perfection…it was too cruel a deed for him. But he had to, or else Zato would forever see him as a blemish of shame on the face that was the Guild of Assassins. He. Had. To. Do. Something. **_Now_**.

"MASTER ZATO!"

Zato had by now turned his back on the boy: an obvious mistake. Lei sprinted across the floor, closing the distance between them as he yelled his master's name. The second Zato turned to see what it was the boy wanted with him, his glance was met with the front of Lei's fist. The collision was gut-wrenching. Zato was torn from the floor, as well as the shadow beneath him that he so coveted. Zato fell to the ground, a hand slowly curling into a fist as he rolled slowly onto his back, blinking in brief bewilderment. No one outside his greatest of foes had ever struck him so! Slowly, he smiled. And then chuckled. And then laughed. Lei breathed slowly, backing from the master as he assumed an offensive stance, preparing for any punishment the master would serve. As Zato rose to his feet, wiping a thin trail of blood from his mouth, he slowly formed an act of respect that nearly no one had seen: a bow.

"Master Zato.." Lei whispered, but quickly cleared his throat and hurriedly bowed in return. "Master! I-I apologize…what I did was of sheer cowardice and should be punished—so too am I ready to accept any form of punish you feel would suffice for my impotence."

"No," Zato began. "What you did was bold. Brazen. I respect that. You, a trainee, dared to attack your master's turned back, knowing full well that he had the advantage at every turn. I heard you running…however it was my own fault for doubting you and thinking that you would not dare attack your master in such a brute manner. And for that…very…reason…you are now promoted. Consider yourself an elite."

Lei stood there, speechless. He was an elite? And all he did was punch the master in his face? How..? No…there had to be more to it! More behind this!

"But master—I'm not worthy!"

"You are now," Zato corrected him. "And there will be no disagreement in the matter. My word is absolute."

Lei looked down at the lashes upon his chest. He remembered how a few moments earlier, he would have readily torn his unknown adversary apart, up until finding out that it was the master himself. Afterward, he felt helpless. Not out of fear, but more so out of awe. He never thought he would _choke_. Ever.

"Master, I…" he began looking up…but no one was there. Zato apparently took his leave. Lei slumped onto the floor, staring at the ground, disappointed in himself.

"Master…I don't deserve this…."

-End Ch 6-


	7. Doubt Me

**Chapter Seven: **_**Doubt Me**_

[_Please excuse the shortness of this chapter…I'm slowly getting back into the rhythm of writing again_]

Hours became days. Days drifted into nights

Lei never left his quarters during the seventy-seven hour seclusion period. He felt useless. Unworthy. Everything had gone from unfavorable to favorable to miserable in a matter of moments. What he thought he wanted…Zato…the promotion,….he received them both. But he did not want it now.

Not like this. Not this way.

Everything had been planned in his mind—mapped to perfection. He had played this wonderful fantasy countless times in his mind before it actually happened. He often visualized Zato attacking him from the darkness…engulfing him in that deadly, beautiful, angelic light. And then he would ground the master with a glorious combination of perfectly placed blows to the midsection. The master would cough and groggily stand…and then Lei would end it all in a blinding flurry of blows. And when Zato fell, he would fall into his arms, and he would care for him..and soothe his wound with words made of silk and admiration. And Zato would…..Master Zato would…

_He would love me…but now….now he…_

-

Zato impatiently paced along the marble floors of the recruitment hall. Elite members stood nearby, statuesque in duty and fear, their eyes slowly shifting toward the master ever-so-often, discreetly. Zato's brow furrowed strikingly as the white wisps around him curled and fluttered into thin threads, seeming to express the same frustration. Venom stood nearby, leaning against the stairwell, watching silently as Zato silently pulsed with aggravation.

"Where is he?" Zato growled gently, finally splitting the silent air. Venom rolled his shoulders gently, taking a brief moment to tuck a few strands of ivory behind his ear. Sighing gently, he closed his eyes for a moment, and then pushed his body from the banister

"He's been in his room for three days now. He has neglected to attend both of his training sessions yesterday and today."

"Did you bother to retrieve him, Venom?"

"No. He would be of no use to The Guild in his depressive state. To attempt and force him--,"

"Would only worsen the situation, yes…" Zato finished for Venom with a disappointed sigh. "I expected so much."

"He is a peculiar child," Venom mused. "His weakness seems to be his emotions."

"Your weakness as well, Venom," Zato added, shifting his body gently so that he could gauge Venom's physical response. To his dismay, Venom was smiling, though it was a faint one. Venom snorted gently.

"_Was_ my weakness."

"And still is," Zato whispered.

-

Terra and Yu stood outside the door. They knew Lei was on the other side, but neither of them bothered to knock. Neither of them bothered to speak. Neither of them wanted to hear his agonized voice, or see his face crumpled with despair. But neither of them would leave. Yu finally let out a frustrated breath, and turned his back on the door. Terra turned, startled, and trotted after him.

"What are you doing?" Terra whispered. "We were supposed to help him!"

Yu shook his head and walked a little faster.

"No. _You_ wanted me to go with you as security in case he went insane again. I'm not here for him," Yu sharply replied. Terra stopped at that. Yu continued on without her. As he faded from her sight, her face grew warm. Who were these boys?! And what happened to the camaraderie that they all initially shared? It was almost as if it had all completely faded in a matter of weeks. They were inseparable before. Why couldn't they be that way now?

"Bastards.." she whispered behind her tear-welled lids. "You're both bastards

-

Lei lay in a fetal position in the center of his bed. He'd been ignoring the knocks at his door. Ignoring the slips of paper pushed underneath his door. They were probably from Terra, anyway. No one had really bothered to retrieve him since that day. What a joke of a promotion. He didn't deserve it. Not that way. Zato gave him a promotion for cowardice, he felt. That struck him more painfully than he had struck the master. He didn't feel like he earned it.

_I should just leave…I'm useless to the master. I tremble at his presence…I can't stop my longing for him…and yet I'm so in love that I'm blind and unable to protect him. I'm like a sick pup, blindly following its master, without regard to its own sickness and inevitable death._

A chill flowed along Lei's spine as he thought. He shivered gently and tightened his curled body's position. There was cold air seeping through the window cracks. He didn't want to cover himself with a blanket…didn't need to. He was growing used to the varying weather now that he had been secluded. But what he wondered most about was how long would the master allow him to lie dormant before they expelled him? Or would someone come to force him from his chambers? Nothing had happened so far….had they simply forgotten about him? No. Surely not. But right now, he didn't feel worthy. Master Zato didn't need to see him so weak. So flawed. So powerless. He would wait until he knew that there would be no room for anyone to doubt him. And there would no longer be any room for him to doubt himself. But how long would that take? How much more disgrace…?

How much more patience would the master have?

-End Ch 7-


	8. Comfort Me

_**Chapter Eight: Comfort Me**_

_How long have I been here...it feels like days...months...I don't know anymore. I've let myself down. Let the Guild down. Let master Zato down, even now. Yu and Terra...I've gone too far now to go back to them. I know it...where do I go now? What do I do from here?_

Lei's mind swam endlessly with questions but no answers came. He'd drifted in and out of sleep now for a few hours at a time, and the chills that coasted through the room reminded him that his situation had not changed. A gentle exhale broke the silence of the room as he finally moved, listening as the papers that had been pushed underneath his door rustled with the intruding breeze.

"I'm...an...elite," he croaked as he sat up in bed, soaking in the stillness around him. He couldn't help but replay the events that unfolded prior to his promotion over and over – a pathetic gag reel to him. As he stared at the floor whilst drowning in thought, a tensing sensation overwhelmed him at once, muscles spasming without warning. He couldn't cry out, for his throat was also tense. His lips would not part for him to speak either. He could only feel pain, and look directly ahead. Suddenly, the chill ceased. In its place he could hear a sharp whisper.

"_**Ungrateful mule**_."

His eyes widened as the pain grew more intense, but he dare not shed a tear. Whomever had come to claim his life in his moment of weakness would not gain the satisfaction of him shaming the Guild as well with a plea for mercy. He could at least give the master that! As his mind prepared for a sure end, the door to his room swung open suddenly, and so did Venom enter. He was silent, pool stick in hand, and he stopped a few feet from the silently struggling Lei. As this occurred, Lei began to feel the pain seep away, and the tension with it. He remained still however, and looked at master Venom, partly with shame...and partly with jealousy. This would come to pass but a moment, as the shadows that were scattered from various objects about the room began to glow white and cultivate wisps that would soon take a familiar form.

"Master Zato," Lei said softly, almost in a whisper. He noticed, however, that Zato's face was all but content. A guttural growl rolled from the master as several beams of light shot forth toward Lei, solidifying as they sharpened and soon pierced flesh. Lei's eyes widened as the pain was excruciating. But he deserved it. Death at the hands of Zato would be fitting. If anyone would execute him for this shame, he would much rather it be Zato over anyone else. But soon the pain faded. And he was still alive. He soon realized that he's been pinned to the wall by the skin upon his shoulders and sides. The pain was so excruciating due to Zato's use of multiple parasite-driven pins, pricking him what felt like thousands of times over. Venom watched nearby, arms folded now, and pool stick tucked underneath an arm securely. Lei's eyes drifted around him. From Venom, to Zato, to the blood that he could feel now running down his limbs like cold water. He wasn't afraid. Simply in awe. Again. Despite knowing that he had insulted the master with his outright neglect of this gift, he couldn't help but revel in this present moment. Zato, however, was not as pleased.

He stepped closer toward Lei, the pulsing aura growing brighter and brighter as he came closer, as if to blind the misled youth. A pale hand lifted to Lei's face, fingers curled toward him as the motion grew still.

"I gave you a gift. My reasons for that were of my own and not to be spit back in my face. You dare reject such a gift from your master?"

The voice that followed was deep. Dripping with anger. It pulsed through Lei's very core. If he were himself, he would tremble in fear right now. But he didn't. He only sighed, and did his best to respond despite the searing pain he was in.

"Master...no apology would be sufficient...I can only say I did not feel worthy-"

"So you _**rejected **__it_?" Zato growled, causing Lei to involuntarily shudder, inciting a wince of pain, as the pinned flesh tore slightly at such a jolt.

"No, sir, I did not know what to do. I realize as an elite my duties are tenfold as I must uphold the very model of what it is to be such, but I wanted to go through all of the trials as expected of any other that would go through trials to be promoted as those before me have, master. I-I only want to prove myself through the most rigorous of training, master!" Lei uttered while doing his best to fight back tears that were threatening to shame him further. Zato, however, remained still a few moments before the ethereal glow dimmed, and the glowing pins that confined Lei to the wall released him, sinking into the ground beneath Zato's feet.

"We shall see," he said, eyes piercing into the disappointment before him before turning his back on the youth. "In the meantime, you are to report to the proving grounds. There, you will await your punishment."

"Yes, sir," Lei whispered, watching as the master soon disappeared out of sight, along with Venom, the door creaking to a gentle close as they went.

Terra remained silent as she stood amongst the other trainees, watching as Yu raised from his bow, and took an offensive stance. She could understand why Yu wanted to dismiss Lei entirely, but to think that he _would_ completely abandon him despite the friendship the three of them had forged simply due to Lei's now-obvious penchant for master Zato was beyond her. They were supposed to be better than this...they were supposed to make it through this and excel and help each other and be the best together. But then again, this was the assassin's guild. Not a school. Eventually...eventually they may well have to face one another, and not on friendly terms. Maybe one day one of them would have to kill the other...or worse. She tried her best not to think of it, and focused on the matter at hand. Today, Yu was to face master Zato. If he won, he would be on his way to becoming an elite. She had yet to beat master Venom, but this way, at least she could see what she would inevitably be up against in regards to the master when attempting to gain a rank.

"Yu...I believe before you faltered...hopefully you have learned since then," the voice of Zato sounded as he approached the contender. Yu nodded, yet remained silent. Zato chuckled a moment before shards of white sprouted from the ground around Yu, who stepped intuitively around them, each step advancing him toward the master. Zato grinned, clenching his fists as the raised spikes of white bended toward Yu, aiming to tear him to bits, it seemed. Terra's eyes widened as the points tore through Yu's clothing, while he glided amidst them, his blade twirling with him before he gave a yell, driving it toward the master's heart. Zato let out a cackle as his arm raised, and a wall of white parted them. The blade however, was still mere inches from its target, and the strength of the master was the only thing keeping it from going further. Terra held her breath as Yu remained vigilant, pushing his blade harder and harder. Zato's cackle soon faded into a chuckle, and he pushed Yu back with a bit of force with his makeshift shield.

"You've improved. I think I shall give you one last test before I award you your ranking of elite, Yu," Zato announced. Yu panted some before he nodded and then bowed.

"Yes, master Zato."

"Lei," Zato uttered, an annoyance in his tone. "Step forward."

Terra gasped as she heard that name. She couldn't tell as to how it affected Yu due to their distance apart, but surely it must have shocked him as well! Lei emerged from the crowd of onlookers, hair somewhat disheveled but he looked as though he had still been training. At least outwardly, he appeared as such to her. Zato glanced between Lei and Yu before continuing.

"Yu. Lei. I have high expectations of you both. Do not hold back, and do not disappoint me."

Terra found herself clasping her mouth with her hands. She could only hope the master was not suggesting what she thought he was. She could only hope...

- End Ch 8 -


End file.
